Modelling

The Germans need to move stuff quick ,and in the most methodical and efficient way possible. The answer is? Load it on the Railway system. So the first train is being put together.

The first of the Tanks are nearly finished. The scrap piece of card blue tac`ed on acts as a buffer,a stop which means each set of wheels and track will be the same when stuck on. The case being no guide holes were in the hull,even though the picture instruction points to where they should have been. This has ment that I eyeballed each side when fixing them in place. These are very cheap kits,and you get what you pay for,and i have no argument with this old saying. One of the Tanks has its turret turned and pointing to the back,and not the front.This is how they were loaded onto rolling stock,so the gun took up less space.

With the removal of the top,this railway wagon will be converted into one of the Flak Cars with quadruple antiaircraft Gun. The piece of metal is one of the weights that helps keep the rolling stock on the rails. Added because plastic is very light.

I laid this with pieces of the Stummel just to illustrate that I can place three on this type of rolling stock and still have room to spare. The Locomotive,is a bit dusty it having been sat on my railway line for Yonks! A Long Time! Each Train will be pulled by two PUGS! BB

Work is going well,on the Train,and 4 Tanks & the 2 Halftracks are nearly complete. I have not done this sort of modelling for over 46 years,and tiny bit`s like wheels and small head lamps keep falling to the floor. Most annoying,but Mrs B,always find the little parts for me. I`m rather clumsy and I am not good at this sticking A to B kind of stuff.

Very pleased with this model kit above.

I did a slight conversion on the Half tracks above, and now there is good elevation on that Gun. Before it was so tight a rigid angle,that it could have been fired it would have blown the front end armoured plate clean off. You can see the great elevation now. There is a section to stick over the top of these two converted ones,but only after the gun has been painted.There will be lots of stuff to model on this project, like the metal track being made and then stuck onto the front of the tanks.

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Sorted out lots of railway rolling stock ,and there`s more than enough for two good sized trains. I`m now awaiting the Mail Lady to bring my stuff!

Really glad I managed to buy bulk on lots of stuff like the two boxed sets above. £4.50 a box has ment I saved £15.00 on that deal. £ 15.00 will pay for two more boxes of Anti-aircraft Guns & Tractors.

The next buy, will be Trucks, Artillery & more Tiger Tanks produced by ARFIX,and some Light Tanks too which the Germans used. I`m quite happy doing this modelling ,well I put it down to the solvent glue fumes. See Ya Later. BB

I just want to mention that i made a mistake on how Tanks were loaded onto railway stuff by the Germans. Photo evidence has shown shown me that not to be the case. However some of my armoured stuff might well be arranged to squeeze in another model. As this is a place for TIP`S! I placed this topic here rather than Tutorials.

This German Conversion was stacked with Ammunition to supply the other Tanks with shells durring combat.

A Tip. Why pay good money out on a kit,that has no turret?Those into conversions could make easily the rounded top,and make two models out of one by taking the turret off a tank,and place it onto concrete fortifications on war gaming bases. When not used placing it back on the tank.

BACK TO THIS TOPIC

I`m very impressed with this snap together Tiger Tank Kit from ITALERI,Priced at £8.99, and I Highly Recommend It. I must admit that i do not like the Box Art and quite frankly because of it i nearly did not buy the kit. However I did,and I am glad of it. I placed the snap together Tiger Tanks above as they are pictures in the picture on the box,and I like the look of it now.

In the photo above there is a gap to the front of the hull,and this will disappear when gluing up.

Only two parts were stuck on,which was the back above,and the front section where the drivers visor and machine gun is.All the rest clipped into place._____ The glue cobwebs were removed later.

A Tip. There is no Metal Track moulded to the front of the hull,so i will make some using Cooking Foil. The stuff you wrap meat in for cooking! Placing a small piece onto the plastic track,and using my thumb the impression needed is easily achieved. Then after turning the foil over,PVA Glue is brushed on perhaps a couple of times . When the glue is dry and hard it will stop the pieces from coIIapsing when cutting out and sticking the four pieces needed on. There is not that much detail in the actual track,but the process can be carried out on more finer detailed work too. Tried and tested over the years by myself making impressions of model railway wagons. Thats it 4 now. BB

N Africa, 500 miles behind the Enemy Lines,Special Box Browney Cameras fitted with top secret night sights are used by the intrepid LRDG and SAS ,who have snapped the latest German build up. It`s Vital now to get the info back at all costs.Recommendation is to bomb all the Tree`s. " Yip! There goes all my Coconuts!"

Well Guys,I will try and add interest,with period photo`s,and also show my very limited modelling skills. Skills which are put more to the test when the included plans are not correct. So I`ll review the stuff as I unfold it upon the assembly line.

Guns for the Flak Wagons

Zvezda 20mm.

More Guns,and this kit was bought in order to obtain the Quadruple Firing the Flakvierling 38 Gun.

I hope to show some progress on the Kits soon. Waiting for Lots of stuff to come in the Mail. BB

Well I had fun and games today. I decided to build part of the SD.KFZ.7 Tractor. It states level 2 skill on the box.

It took me ages to finally fix them all in place correctly. My skill level must be minis 0! I did manage other stuff too though.

This 20mm Anti-aircraft Gun took ages to make up. The broken back to the seat can be glued onto the back of the gunner later. Like the gun itself the instructions are tiny too. Not good where I am concerned. Very thin fragile plastic that easily breaks. Yes I snapped the Seat!

Above one is mounted on a German Half-Track,of which I have plenty so my first real conversion will follow shortly.

Gunnar,my dear fellow Benno-Knight,B&W,Colour or wonky stuck up Kits! Feel Free to copy what you wish of mine. As for the Black and White photo`s they were such long before snap shots in colour. I felt a universal no colour job in keeping with this topic and the period. "Yip! I don`t have to paint them.":shock: " What never?"_____________ "Don`t be silly. BB, will eventually paint them .Probably Pink! Because he see`s no colours."

A few of the castings which are fine,and A OK,made in the Greenstuff! The larger track will be fixed onto the front of the hull of the Tiger Tanks. The narrow track will be fixed onto the sides of the Stugs.No picture of the mould that produced the Wheels,I reused the stuff.

Next on the list for producing castings. I will also make German Helmets which were hung onto the sides of the Armoured Cars. Photo evidence confirm this to be the case.

I spent an hour today making the 20 moulds off each Pattern. So I can spend today making the stuff needed to add detail to those Tanks,Armoured Cars, and Half-tracks which are quite bland looking at present.

Where the Jerry Cans where placed can be seen in the picture above,and the photo in the last posting.There will be lots of conversions on Armoured Cars,and Half-tracked vehicles using other kits,and all will be based on actual photo`s.

Realising feelings run deep,it is not my intention to cause offence to anyone in this topic.

I have never worked on WWII stuff before,because of issues that might arise,and although I am planing to add photo`s here throughout this topic it is not my intention to glorify those pictured in them ,whatever unit they belonged too. Although pictures of men and youngmen will be in view ,I will not be showing pictures of the dead. To sum up,this is a modelling exercise and nothing more. BB

Well I spent 4 hours making the moulds,and pressing the greenstuff in.

I can here the train whistle a blowing, so back to the modelling kits already started.

Work on the Tractor has reached the stage where it can be finished after the rubber track has been fixed around the wheels. Than the top can be glued in place. I used my electric soldering iron to fix the rubber ends together. Great job done and I didn`t burn myself.

The first 88mm Gun is ready for gluing up.

The first AIRFIX Stug is nearly finished.

An easy way of construction on this one ,and so far on this project one of my favourite model tanks.

Inside the Stug, time for a relaxed smoke,and a snapshot by a comrade captures that moment in time.

All the Stuff I ordered has now been delivered, and having bought `Plastic Soldier Company`, big box sets ,I have lots of spare turrets and guns a plenty now,and that will be after the models are finished. A grand choice of 3 Turret`s or a 3 Gun version in each box is splendid. So after doing research upon the question of German Trains,I now know just how to employ them.

The young faces of this group of lads who served the 88mm Gun.

Pz IV D,Tank Turrets.

Improvisation in any war. You use what you can grab. A Panzer IV G , placed on this train,has had its wheels and tracks removed, and reinforced metal plates bolted to either side. A very cheap option,and quick too.

Above a German railway Battle Cruiser.

A converted Armoured Car,is used to scout the rails ahead of the train.

This `Armourfast Tank`, has aboard it some of the first castings that I made Sunday. I think the effort and energy required to do the work has all been worthwhile.

Below the first Italeri Tiger Tank, has had the first metal track off the production line fixed in place.

I also started work on this kit. This model has slots cut into the hull to guide the side wheels with track into place. So easy.( The Panzer III had none and was a complete pain to line everything up by eye. )

The glue is very thin ,and it runs so smear marks can be seen. It could be said that they came to a very sticky end.

There is an oblong box to fit at the back. I`ll do that when I get another tube of glue.

Spear Wheel`s front and back can be seen in the photo,so i will be adding these later.